Evidence Flashcards
The statement of Atteststation standards suggests two basic types of evidence collection procedures:
1) Search and verification - procedures include procedures such as inspecting assets, confirming receivables, and observing the counting of inventory
2) Internal inquieries and comparisons - procedures include discussions with firm representatives and analytical procedures such as ratio and analysis.
AU-C 540 suggetst that auditor’s objectives relating to estimates are to determine that all estimates:
1) have been developed
2) are reasonable
3) follow gAAP
substantive procedures.
There are two types:
1) substantive analytical procedures 2) tests of details of tranactions, account balances, and disclsoures.
What is Analytical procedures?
consists of valuations of financial information made by a study of plausible relationships among financial and nonfinancial data. Used as follow:
risk assessment - identify aspects of the entity of which the auditor was unaware and assist in assessing the risks of material missatement. As such, these tests help the auditor determine the nature, timing, and extent of tests.
substantive procedures - obtain relevant and reliable audit evidence to substantiate accounts for which overall comparisons are helpful.
near the ned of audit - assess conlusions reached and evaluate overall FS presentations.
When developing expectations, the auditor shoudl attempt to identify plausible relationships. These expectation may be derived from:
1) The information itself in prior periods.
2) Anticipated results such as budgets and forecasts
3) Relationships among elements of fiancial info. within the period.
4) Industry informaoitn
5) Relevant nonfinancial information.
Relationships differ in their predictability. They are:
relationships in a dynamic or unstable environemnt are less predictable than those in a stable environment.
relationships invovling BS accounts are less predictable than income statement accounts (because BS accounts represent balances at one arbitrary point in time).
relationships involving management discretion are sometimes less predictable (e.g., decsiion to incur maintenance expense rather than replace plant).
limitations to anlytical procedures:
1) the guidelines for evaluation may be inadequate
2) It is difficult to determine whether a change is due to a misstatemnet or result of random changei nthe account.
3) cost-based accounting records hinder comparions between firms of different ages/asset compositions.
4) accounting differences hinder comparisons between firms.
5) Analytical procedures present only “circumstantial” evidence in that a “significant” diference will ead to additonal audit procedures.
Consider two possible approaches for auditing an account
1) Direct tests of ending balance (tests of balances)
Ex. for high turnover accounts such as cash, acocunts receivable, acounts payable, etc. to confirm the year end balances.
2) tests of inputs and outputs during the year - used most extensively for loewr turnover accounts. e.g, fixed assets, long-term debt, etc.
You could use both approaches!
PCAOB standard containts documetnation requiresments for aduits and reviews of issurs:
1) The documentation should demonstrate that the egangement complied with PCAOB standards.
2) the documentation completion period is 45 days (not 60 days) following the report release date.
3) the retatnion period is 7 years (rather than 5).
The differences relate to AICPA standards.
Working trail balnace ?
- a list of ledger acocunts with current year-end balnces , with columns for adjusting for final baneces for the current year.
lead schedules?
schedules that summarize like acocunts, the total of which typically tranferred to the working trial balance. ex., a client’s various cash acocunts may be summarized on a lead schedule with only the total cash being transferred to the working trial balance.
Index?
The bomination of numbers and/or letters given to a workpaper page for indetifcaiton and orgazation purposes. ex., cash workpaper may be indexed A-1.
cross-reference?
When the same infromation is included on two workpapers, auditors indicate on each workpaper the index of the other workpaper containing the identical information.
Current workpaper files?
files that contain corroborating info. pertaining to the current year’s audit program. ex. cash confirmation.
permanent workpaper files?
the fiels that contian ifnormatoin that is expecetd to be used by by the auditor on many future audits of a client . ex. copies of articles of incorp and bylaws, schedules of ratios by year, analyses of cap. stock accounts, debt agreements, and internal control.
How to uncover kiting?
by preparing a bank transfer schedule or by obtaining a cutoff statemnet for the first city account.
a bank transfer schedule shows the dates of all transfers of cash among the client’s various bank acocunts.
With bank reconciliations, the four column approach will allow the auditor to reconcicle:
1) All cash receipts and disbursements recorded on the books to those on the bank statement and
2) All deposits disbursements recorded on the bank statemnts to the oboks.
A four-column reconciliation will not allow the auditor to verify whether
1) checks written have been for the wrong mounts and so recorded on both the books and the bank statemnet, and
2) unrecorded checks or deposits exist that have not cleared the bank.
1) Bank cutoff statements:
a cutoff statemnet is a bank statemnt for the first 8-10 days after year end. purpose is to verify reconciling items. The statement is sent directly by the bnak to the auditor.
standard confirmation form:
use to obtain informatoin from financial instutions. The form request informatoin on two types of balances - deposits and loans. know that the form is deisnged to substantiate evidence primarily on the existence assertion, and not to discover or provide assurance about accounts not listed on the form.
how to detect lapping?
occurs when one individual has responsiblity for obht recordkeeping and custody of cash. best way to contorl it is with seg. of duties and thereby make its occurence difficult, it may be detected by using the following procedures:
1) analytical procedures - calculate age of receivables and turnover of receivables.
2) confirm receivables - investigate exception noted, emphasize accounts that have been written off, and old accounts.
3) deposit slips - obtain authenticated deposit slips from bank and compare names, dates, and amounts on remittance advices to infomraiotn on deposit slips.
4) bookkeeping system - compare remittance devices with informatoin recorded.
Confirmation of receivables?
confirm unless 1) accounts receivable are immateiral
2) confirmations would be ineffective as an audit procedure
3) the combined assessment of inherent and contorl risk is low, and that assessment with other substantive evidence, is sufficient to reduce audit risk to an acceptably low level.
Negative confirmation request may be used when
1) the combined assessed level of inherent risk and control risk is low.
2) A large number of small balnaces is insvolved,
3) The auditor has no reason to believ that recipients are unlikely to give them adequate consierations.
The auditor may consider not perfomring altnerative procedures for confirmation of receivable if
1) no unusual qualitative factors or systematic characteristics realted to reponses have been indetified
2) tthe nonresponses in total, when projeceted as 100% misstatements to the pop., are immaterial.